Homemade Caramels

By lauramae

I love the holidays! One of my favorite parts is making all sorts of wonderful treats that I only make once a year. I’ve decided to share my creations with you all each day and first on the list was the homemade caramels.

If you've never made caramel before, don't be afraid, it's actually really easy. You just need the ingredients, a large sauce pan and a candy thermometer. Well, a candy thermometer isn't required, but it's certainly very handy!

Ingredients

• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup corn syrup
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1 pint (2 cups) heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup butter
• 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation

Step 1

A couple tips on making caramels: Line your pan with foil, then spray the foil. Taking the caramel block out of the pan is a breeze after it's cooled!

Don't feel like you have to stir the mixture continuously. it's OK to let it boil for a few minutes in between periods of stirring. I did the morning dishes while mine cooked!

When cutting the caramels, err on the side of smaller pieces, especially if you have small children. My kids love caramel, but I find sizes much larger than a penny are too big.

To Make Caramels:

In a medium size pot, combine everything except the vanilla. Monitor the heat of the mixture with a candy thermometer while stirring occasionally. When the thermometer reaches 245 degrees {240 degrees is also called soft ball stage, I like to cook mine to 245 degrees}, remove pot from heat.

Stir in vanilla. Transfer mixture to a greased 12x15 pan and let the mixture cool completely. When cooled cut the caramel into small squares and wrap them in wax paper for storage.